I found out about the opportunity from the Texas A&M Job Board. I applied for a multitude of jobs that I found on there. This one happened to work out for me. I was based out of Saratoga, Wyoming, a small town of roughly 1700 people in the south east to south central portion of the state.

Much of my job revolved around working on WGFD’s Wildlife Habitat Management Areas (WHMA’s) that were comprised of state land, deeded and commissioned land, and BLM land. On the WHMA’s I did a lot of fence line maintenance (splicing fence, fixing fence), fence line construction, irrigation work (working with sub-surface ditch and flood irrigation) which irrigated the WHMA’s meadows for wildlife foraging, general construction work, and general road work using heavy equipment. In addition I was able to get involved with some permitting and other relatable meetings. I did this to see what other kind of opportunities are out there within my field that are outside of Ohio. What I enjoyed most was being able to explore both Wyoming and Colorado in great lengths. I learned a great deal about wildlife management and how much management can differ between areas of the United States.

After being accepted into the Antarctica study abroad program, I had the privilege of visiting Ushuaia, Argentina, which is known as the “city at the end of the world” and several locations along the Antarctica peninsula. The study abroad group, along with a crew and other tourists from around the world, travelled byship from Ushuaia to Antarctica. While in Antarctica, we studied the effects humans are having on the wildlife, climate, and landscape of Antarctica. The overarching goal of the project was to determine if ecotourism in Antarctica is sustainable.

This study abroad interested me more than others because I am extremely passionate about climate change, and discovering how humans can indirectly affect remote ecosystems around the world. Since humans cannot permanently live in Antarctica, it was fascinating to study the effects we are still having on the ecosystem. After attending this study abroad, it is my hope that I can spread awareness of the importance of protecting ecosystems and discover new ways to decrease the effects of climate change.

This experience was truly an adventure that cannot be described in words. Not only did I enjoy the beautiful scenery and exotic wildlife that Antarctica holds, but I enjoyed learning about and seeing a continent that was unlike any other place in the world that can hold so much life in such a barren place. I also enjoyed interacting with the other passengers and crew because it opened my eyes to other cultures and allowed me to have a better understanding of the rest of the world. This trip was undoubtedly the trip of a lifetime

I’ve always been fascinated by environments different than the one I grew up in. So when the flyer went up for the study abroad to Antarctica, I immediately got on the phone with my mother. Before I know it, I was accepted. The course was unlike any course I’ve taken before, but I enjoyed it immensely.

Leading up to the actual abroad portion of the course, we attended a series of webinars and wrote several short and long papers. For me this was fun because it allowed me to merge my new knowledge from the lectures with my previous knowledge in my specialization. The abroad portion of the trip was beyond incredible. We of course got a lot of time on the continent, seeing penguins, seals, and various sea birds, but I was also luck enough to camp on an island and to go kayaking almost everyday. It was amazing to see everything we had been studying in the semester up close and interacting. While on the trip, we stayed on a ship with regular tourists. We did our course work for the trip by interviewing passengers about their knowledge, care, and understanding of Ecotourism. My small group and myself had the task of researching just what our fellow passengers knew about invasive species in Antarctica and around the world. We complied the data we collected and got the chance to prevent our findings to the crew and passengers of our ship. At the end of the course, our small group rejoined with our larger ecotourism group to write a journal worthy paper.

I went on this trip because it presented the perfect opportunity to really use everything I’ve learned over the past few years here at The Ohio State University and apply it to the field I someday wish to enter. However, it wasn’t just the application of my learning that was the most enjoyable part of this study abroad for me. It was that I learned that people worldwide are taking a greater interest in protecting our planet through their travels and that I was able to impart some of my knowledge onto them. Since the conclusion of my study abroad to Antarctica, I’ve started an Environmental Education blog and am ready to take on the challenge of educating people worldwide about just how amazing our planet is and how to do it! Going to Antarctica was the best decision I’ve made in my OSU career.

When I first stepped foot on the Ohio State campus as a freshman there were a lot of uncertainties in my life. One thing that was not uncertain, however, was my desire to study abroad. I’ve always had a need for travel in my blood. I’d like to say I traveled the world someday, and I figured I might as well start with one of the countries that has always attracted me the most: New Zealand. As an EEDS major, the program fit perfectly as studying sustainability was the focal point of the program. It was my personal interests, however, that sold me on the program. Anyone that knows me can tell you how much I enjoy hiking, nature, and exploring new places. New Zealand fulfilled all of these criteria and more.Leading up to the program, I had talked with students that had went on the trip the prior year, so I had an idea of what to expect in terms of New Zealand as a country. I had heard stories of incredible landscapes, exciting activities, and some of the best hiking the world has to offer. And boy were these stories correct. I tried to make the most of my trip, and I’d like to think I got the authentic New Zealand experience. If an activity came up, I always said yes. This led to me having the experience of a lifetime. I got to do the things I expected to do such as visiting the world famous Milford Sound. I got to snorkel with dolphins and visit glaciers. I hiked portions of the Routeburn Track and Abel Tasman Coastal Track, which are two of New Zealand’s Great Walks. I think the greatest experiences, however, were the ones that occurred naturally; experiences such as bungy jumping, playing in quick sand, and making some great friends along the way.

Since we only had 19 students on the trip, we all got to know each other pretty well. Luckily we all got along great which made the trip that much better. My favorite memories from the trip involve these people, from getting lost in Dunedin to hiking Queenstown Hill to stargazing in Te Anau. Everything was made perfect because of these people. It was strange leaving them in the Christchurch Airport as they headed home and I headed for a week long excursion in Australia. Here I had spent a month of my life with these people, and now I’d have to adjust back to a normal life. While I won’t see themeveryday now, I’m confident that we’ll always be in touch. I consider the people I met some of my best friends now and my New Zealand experience would not have been the same without them. It’s funny, we go to a school that is so large that sometimes it takes going halfway around the world to become friends with people that live on the same campus as you.

I am grateful everyday that I had the opportunity to study in New Zealand. Being a member on this trip and being in SENR in general was a great life choice that I will not be regretting anytime soon. SENR not only gave me the chance to travel to a country that I had always wanted to visit, but also gave me an opportunity to study what I enjoy while being there. Some people go their whole life without leaving their home country which is something I cannot fathom. We live in a huge world with many unique landscapes and extraordinary cultures, and I won’t settle for the status quo of staying within the boundaries of the US. I want to see it all. This was the first time I had been outside of North America but it certainly will not be the last. How can it be? I still have five more continents to see.

Grace Poling had the amazing opportunity to travel to Brazil with Aloha Zeta Partners. Students attend classes at the branch campus of University of Sao Paulo, ESALQ, in Piracicaba, Brazil. In Piracicaba, the students also stay with a host family for a weekend and meet with them periodically throughout the trip. When not in classes, the students go on tours throughout the country including a 9-day bus tour through several regions of Brazil. The students also have time to relax and participate in fun activities such as white water rafting, snorkeling, samba dancing, sightseeing and hiking.

During an interview, Grace said that she applied for this program in early February in 2012. At the time she knew the experience would be amazing, but she was blown away at how is shaped the rest of her time at OSU and her confidence after going through this program. Grace took four seminars to prepare for this program. The biggest take aways were the gains she made in leadership, she was able to discover her own leadership style while getting to know the other 20 participants. Diversity was also a large topic. They learned both about diversity in the US and about Brazil as a whole. They traveled to a Mosque, talked to veterans, discussed the LGBT community. Every year these experiences change. After her amazing six weeks in Brazil the participants had the opportunity to travel to DC, the US capital, the following spring break in order to compare the US and Brazilian Governments and agencies. Grace was also able to network with the US EPA during her time in DC.

Grace also had the amazing experience to work for Marathon for two summers as an intern. This position required skills and had a high level of responsibility. Grace said this was a good job experience and that the company respected her as they taught her about environmental policy and the refining process. Grace worked on organizing large amounts of data in the Finley Ohio location, mainly product tank data, and documents for the company. A typical day consisted of a morning meeting with her mentor, some desk work, making documents, etc. She also was able to work on the main project figures looking to figure out how to best deal with algae booms in retention ponds at a pipeline terminal. For this she researched aeration mechanisms, manual removal, and chemical options.

During her time in the Texas refinery, Grace worked on the computer and researched on how to create policy documents for the refinery to use. Some examples include, PPR Permit by rule for a sand blazing facility, which is for an EPA permit for smaller areas that need to meet standards. Grace also went out into the refinery to sniff the sulfur units to see how much sulfur was escaping from the machinery. She would Communicate with the facilities monitoring team at meetings regarding her results. Grace Highlighted that there is a lot of environmental work in large companies, such as Marathon, because of the strict environmental protections that are in place along with the fact that most companies like this are investing a lot of time and money to be sustainable and environmentally friendly. Her biggest take away: “You learn so much on the job, work isn’t always easy, but it is attainable. It takes the effort to see results”.

Grace has recently graduated from The Ohio State University and plans to go right into work with Marathon as a Health, Environmental, and Safely Professional at one of the refineries. This large company has opened many doors for her and has given her the real work skills that make her a very large competitor in the job field.
Apply Online at : https://jobs.marathonpetroleum.com/content/students/

Major:Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability (EEDS)Specialization: Sustainability and Business Graduation: May 2016

SENR Study Abroad- Australia: Sustaining Human Societies and the Environment 3.5 weeks May Session, 2014 Click Here for more information When I decided to declare a major in EEDS, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into. I had a limited knowledge about the school and the major and I did not know many people in my classes at the beginning. However, before one of my classes one afternoon an SENR representative gave a presentation about May session study abroad in Australia: Sustaining Human and Natural Systems. Coming into college I had been vehemently opposed to study abroad because I didn’t want to miss out on everything going on around campus. However, study abroad turned out to be a perfect opportunity for me. I wouldn’t have to miss anything since the trip was during May, I could take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to an amazing country, I could meet new people in SENR, and get credit for all of it.

The trip itself was life changing. I distinctly remember holding my ticket to fly from LA to Sydney (approximately a 14 hour flight) with 30 perfect strangers from Ohio State, and thinking to myself, “What the heck am I doing?” But studying abroad through SENR turned out to be by far, one of the best decisions of my college career. I made friends I won’t soon forget and saw sights I only had previously seen in textbooks; we snorkeled The Great Barrier Reef, kayaked though the rainforest, camped in the outback, and became immersed in Australian culture.

Furthermore, I gained a deeper understanding about how sustainability is crucial not just here us the US, but around the world; it is truly crucial that we attack issues on a global scale, not just here at home. But above all, studying abroad helped me push myself outside of my comfort zone and, as a result, I learned more about myself and my major because of the experience

I wanted to get away from everything and get out of my comfort zone. In order to, I decided to go backpacking for two and a half weeks and walked 129 miles in the wilderness of the Sequoia and Kings Canon National Park. I was given this opportunity through funding from the OSU STEP program. Myself and seven other students left Columbus and headed for California. We were all strangers and were being lead by two men, who worked for the Outdoor Adventure Center at OSU – Tyler and Blake. We had no idea what lay ahead of us. We were all going to have to work together as we learned about the kind of leaders we were and how to take the lessons back to our lives at OSU. We took only what we could carry on our backs. There are no bathrooms, running water, or technology. There was only you, your company, the trail, and the endless skylines. We all had a lot to adjust to: changes in elevation of 7,000ft to 12,000ft, 9-13 miles a day with 35+lbs packs. We lived simply. We were organized, and we trusted each other with our lives.

Once Tyler and Blake had given us the skills we needed to survive in the backcountry, they took a step back and were no longer our leaders. Instead, they became our equals. We then had one of the students be leader of the day. This might sound pretty simple, but you wouldn’t be more wrong. As leader of the day, you had charge of everything: the route we took, what we were eating, and when. The leader decided the number of water breaks, and everyone’s safety. We all had different leadership styles that emerged, and we each found our strengths and weaknesses. There were great accomplishments where we were able to go from 8,000ft to 12,000ft and back down to 9,000ft in one 13-mile day. When we reached the top of this pass, the view was simply like nothing I could ever describe with justice. We were on the edge of a rift between two mountainsides. A storm brewing to the east and a sun set in the west. It was something out of a dream.

Then there were the moments where I would collapse from exhaustion, my feet bleeding, my eyes running with tears. I felt defeated. I wanted to just scream, but I had no strength. Then my team tells me it is time to move on. I take a deep breath and make myself stand. Then I start to take one step after the other. We all had moments like this. Each and every one of us had a time where we wanted to give up. Yet every single person made the decision to get back up and keep walking. We experienced these extreme highs and lows together, giving us a bond so genuine.

I came away a stronger and more confident leader. I know I will constantly be growing, but after this experience I know I am ready for anything.

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